8.4.1 Accident Investigation
The standard of health and safety in the workplace can be improved greatly by a well-defined procedure for reporting accidents and incidents that may occur. It is extremely important that staff know what the procedures are for reporting incidents and believe that if they do report an incident that their concern will be taken seriously and without detriment. It is also important that staff are encouraged to notify management of potential incidents as well, so that they may be remedied before a serious accident occurs. As the accident pyramid discussed at the beginning of this unit reveals, there are many more minor accidents that occur before a single major one. If those minor accidents are reported, taken seriously and actioned, then the potential for more serious consequences is reduced.
As in much of health and safety, accident investigation procedures and regulations vary from state to state and organisation to organisation. It is therefore important for you to become aware of the procedures in your particular organisation. The final learning activity will provide a guide for how you may learn to report various incidents at your workplace.
Activity 6
Identify and analyse incident reporting procedures
Discuss with your manager and team the procedures for reporting incidents at work. Imagine that you sustain a minor injury at work and require a visit to the doctor. What are the steps that you would take to report your injury? What authorities would you contact to discuss your rights in terms of sick pay, etc. (consider the list on pages 13-15)?
Read each of the following scenarios and decide what action, if any, can be taken to remove or reduce the potential hazard. Having determined the actions to remove or reduce the hazard, what can you suggest to prevent similar hazards re-occurring?
Incident #1
You are in the staff canteen and notice that a cup of coffee has been spilled on the walkway near the food.
Action
Prevention
Incident #2
In the back office area of the store you notice that there are a number of "piggy backed" electrical plugs and double adaptors.
Action
Prevention
Incident #3
Your manager is making a presentation to suppliers using an overhead projector. When setting it up you notice that the power cord runs back from the projector to the power point and will be exactly where your manager has to stand.
Action
Prevention
Incident #4
Walking past a meat slicer you notice that a guard has broken off and, while there is no one nearby, it has signs of recent use.
Action
Prevention
Incident #5
Walking past the fire escape exit you notice that a large number of cartons have been stored causing the exit to be partly blocked..
Action
Prevention
Activity 7
The knowledge of workplace health and safety policies and procedures must be complemented by active participation in health and safety issues by all staff. This will assist with developing ownership of the responsibility for OH&S by everyone in the workplace. The degree to which this concept will succeed is dependent on the access and involvement of team members in reviewing and implementing OH&S policies and procedures.
As a learning exercise, investigate the methods with which your workplace facilitates access by team members to workplace policies and procedures relating to health and safety.
- Summarise those methods and rank them in terms of clarity of understanding and timeliness of delivery.
- Select the highest-ranking facilitation method and comment on why you perceive this to be the most effective method of permitting access to workplace policies and procedures by team members.
- Are there any factors that may occur within the workplace environment that would alter the effectiveness of this method? Comment on the impact of these factors on team members' access to workplace policies and procedure.
Reading 1
To further consider implications for OH&S in your industry examine the specific information provided by agencies such as NSW WorkCover at their site.
Go to http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au then access the "Industries" menu tab and open the link to your industry area.
Activity 8
Once you access the NSW WorkCover site complete the following.
- What safety risks are most prevalent in your industry area?
- What legislative information should your employers or you adhere to in your workplace?
As specified in previous sections of this study guide it is not sufficient just to comply with legislative and legal requirements, it is also important to link work practices to these requirements. A safety audit is one method that enables you to assess the effectiveness of health and safety programs in your workplace and ensure that there is compliance with the appropriate workplace standards. The reading and exercise over the page will introduce you to the fundamentals of the safety audit.
Reading 2
Maitoba Government (May, 2003) A Guide to Investigating Workplace Incidents , Manitoba Work Safe, Workplace Safety and Health Division: Canada . Sourced June 2004, at http://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/saf
ety/pdf/investigatingincidentsguide.pdf
Activity 9
Analyse the reading from the Manitoba Government and complete the following questions.
- Why is it necessary to investigate and report workplace incidents?
- What is the supervisor's role?
- Map the investigation steps?
- Although this document is from Canada could it be useful in your workplace? Do you have similar documents?
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